DelToroFilms.com

[Parker]

The following are posts from the Hellboard site made by GDT. Read through them carefully before you post a question.

Thanks!

[Parker]

Just a few -very few- answers.

Pan?s is an original story. Some of my favorite writers (Borges, Blackwood, Machen, Dunsany) have explored the figure of the God Pan and the symbol of the labyrinth. These are things that I find very compelling (?member the labyrinth (s) image (s) on HELLBOY??) and I am trying to mix them and play with them.

Don?t get me wrong. I am not trying to compare my meager intellect with the aforementioned giants but just trying to have a go at these rich symbols that hold such a hold on me.

Involved as designers are Carlos Gimenez (Devil?s Backbone) and Bill Stout (Return of the living Dead) and as DoP Guillermo Navarro. Its a co-production between Tequila Gang (my Mexican Company) and my compadre Alfonso Cuaron (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban).

Sewers, catacombs, etc, they are all labyrinthian, sure, but the TRUE Labyrinth holds in itself much secret knowledge and symbols. I consider CRONOS and DEVIL?S BACKBONE to be tales rich in symbols and Hermetic readings. They can be viewed at face value as just the weird little movies they are or, if you dig a touch deeper you can find a few little clues I have placed in the,

The tradition of the Labyrinth is an ancient one and it belongs to all cultures. This is only my riff on it. Its very much a Fairy Tale, but a very dark one, set against the background of Fascist Spain in 1944,

Yes, there will be creatures, Actually several strange FX. both Make up and puppets and will contain quite a bundle of CGI shots... I hope you like them. I loved Whedon?s FIrefly (saw it at a friend?s house all in one sitting) . I am yet to even see ONE Buffy chapter. I hear its great. But somehow I have not gotten to it. Too busy re-watching all of Kolchak , Frasier, Curb your enthusiasm, Night Gallery and Columbo.

Columbo?? Jeez- Im an old fart.

I have no "inside track" info on Whedon?s involvement. But I pray its true. I think he has a very qurky imagination -if FF is to be an indicator.

Love and Peace

GDT

[Parker]

FIRST BATCH OF ANSWERS.

Since AtMOM is under the wings of DREAMWORKS and I have not cleared any disclosure about the project I will be answering only PAN?s questions for the next few months... Sorry.

I will, however, ramble a bit about it in the following 3 questions without doing much harm...

AtMOM 3 HARMLESS QUESTIONS:

1) Hellmistress mentioned that you said Ron Perlman is set to play McTighe in At the Mountains of Madness. That's a fairly small role in the novella. I'm wondering if you have any plans to expand that role by combining some of Lovecraft's characters (e.g. Danforth and McTighe) in the film version...?

Well, actually, Ron will play the role of ?Larsen? which is barely sketched in the novel -one of the many European sailors in the ?Arkham?- but it will definitely be a juicy role in the movie!!

2) Has the similar plotline of "Alien Vs. Predator" affected AtMoM in any ways? I know you were concerned about this before AVP came out, and I'm curious how you feel now (AVP doesn't have one-billionth of the class AtMoM will, so I'm not worried). Do you think AVP is too similar to AtMoM for comfort?

-Not really. Here?s a few thoughts on that...

A) The VERY FIRST Alien is already -amongst other things- pretty much influenced by Lovecraft. And -in my opinion- specially by AtMOM. Let's see the elements it uses:

- SHIP wandering upon a derelict city (in this case city-size ship) and then having its crew decimated by a shape-shifting creature.

- In said city they find, not only the remains of a highly-evolved race but also (in the novel and preproduction sketches) detailed murals relating how all of these came to be.

B) THE THING

- AtMOM is pure PULP HORROR: an enormous, sub-genre of stories and novels that were devoured by the masses and, in many ways, became the ?comic books? of their day, creating mythos and heroes to be cherished by generations to come.

As we know, every comic book lineage or family tree is, by default, incestuous.

Well, so is pulp.

People know that the tale ?Who goes there?? By Campbell was influenced by Lovecraft?s AtMOM, which in turn was inspired by Poe?s ?Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym?.

So, you can expect plenty of things in AtMOM to be pointed at angrily as ripping off Carpenter or Campbell -sigh- the scale, however, and the novels implications are another matter altogether.

C) AVP

-Yes, obviously a big page of AtMOM was used on its first third, but I believe that we have to sail on and just remain close to the Lovecraft novel. Stay in period and be faithful to its sense of ?Grand Adventure?. if someone else does anything similar, so be it...

3) Will this film be authentic to the time period in which it was originally written (the 1930s), with all of the appropriate technology and equipment they had at that time, along with the manner of dress and such? I don't think it should be updated to take place in the new century, though I trust your judgement of course. I just think that setting it in the 1930s like it was originally would further distinguish from the everyday movie, and give it that timeless quality that all movie epics should have.

100% 1930?s


That?s it for AtMOM for now. More answers in the future (I will ?unstick? that thread, BTW.

Now, on to Pan?s Labyrinth:

1) I've heard it mentioned that Pan's Labyrinth is a pseudo sequel or companion piece for Devil's Backbone. Will it both films be similar in feel? Or will there be any shared characters?

-There is one shared human character. But only tangentially connected to the story. The main connection is War and how it robs us of our choices or, at least, makes them more significant.


2) With an actual Satyr showing up, what types of special effects technology is planned for the creature effects? CG, puppetry, make-up, animatronics, or a little of all-of-the-above? Also, and I know it's a stretch, might we glimpse some other creatures in this flick? I know it's a smaller one, but I love me some creepy crawlies

-The Satyr will be a basic prosthetic/puppet effect but will be then enhanced by CGI extensions and so forth.

Few creatures will be achieved solely by CGI. I don't usually endorse this approach because it can look great (Abe underwater) or like shite (Fight in front of the lights on BLADE II) so, a MONSTER should always -if possible- have a PHYSICAL element to it and use CGI to build upon it.

That said, in Pan?s there are 4 different critters to be shown. And a few more digital/puppet FX to be done...


3) Who is starring?!?

Hopefully Sergi Lopez (Dirty Pretty Things).


4) GdT said no cast as of yet and there'll be animals in the labyrinth but I think they'll be a little more fluffy than what you want

-Nothing?s even remotely fluffy in this movie. Except, well, me.

5) I wonder what Guillermo thinks of The Muppets?

-Love them!!! Jim Henson was a genius!!! Storyteller on DVD, go get it!!!

6) is it going to be in english or like Spanish with English subtitles? And one more thing, will it be released in the U.S.A?
that's all for now.

-Spanish w/English subtitles. And, yes, hopefully it'll get a nice run in theatres in the US...

7) I was just watching Night Gallery re-runs on PLEX today. I ran across a great one- I'll have to look up the name, where a mad ex-Nazi scientist claims to have invented a serum that will dissolve your bones and turn you into a human sized worm. He says to the hero, "You are very brave! You will be a very brave worm!"
I think that's the hardest I've laughed in a week!

-Yes, that is probably the single dumbest episode and the one MOST people use to claim NG as a bad series. Nevertheless I truly believe that the original concept is quite good. Producer/director mishandling and a (now) odd casting (Leslie Nielsen was, back then a ?serious? character actor) make it wackier and more laughable.

Have you read any horror writers - or watched any movies - to refresh your feelings for horror while you work on PL? Or is it all buried inside your noggin, and you can draw upon it when you choose?

-I am re-reading a few symbolist writers (Marcel Schwob amongst them) because Pan was such an emblematic figure for the movement, check out the engravings of Felicien Rops or the paintings of Carlos Schwabe or those of the proto-symbolist Arnold Bocklin...

I am also reading my entire library of fairy tales. Not that PAN?S LABYRINTH is that much like a normal fairy tale but there are some lessons to be learned. I was just reading a great volume called THE SCIENCE of FAIRY TALES and was delighted by the wealth of information it contained.

9) I know that a lot of horror writers offer different feelings and moods, and I'm just wondering if you feel PANS is in keeping with some of them more than others. I like your reflections on your fave horror authors and films and find them illuminating, and am wondering if any are high in your mind while you work on this new project.

I would love -some day- to do a straight adaptation of THE GREAT GOD PAN with all of its venereal horror in Victorian London... but this project as more in common with DEVIL?S BACKBONE really...

10) The above post brings up a point I am curious on: Is "Pan's" a horror film or fantasy? For some reason, based on what little I know of it, that it was mostly a fantasy piece but it would seem others are understanding it a work of horror.

-I really couldn't classify it that easily. It has elements of both...


11) There was this fantastic Mini series:
"Storyteller, The" (1987)
Is there any chance that your movie will keep the ambiance, the mood or the light of this type of production?

-I wish, and hope it may at some points. To me, that series is pure magic. My daughters and I adore it!!

12) For the Pan character.
If there is a real Pan in your Labyrinth (sorry I have never read this story).
I hope that your designer will keep this design..or something like.
Because he is so classical and beautiful, nothing more this splendor by Bouguereau.

-Tres bon, mon ami!!! Yes, there will be a satyr in the movie... A little less classical, but yes...

13) I was just wondering whether GDt's ever seen Stuart Gordon's film of Lovecraft's Dagon?

The reason I ask is because the actress Macarena Gomez is in it. Obviously, I don't know what's in the script, but if there's call for a GORGEOUS Spanish girl - she'd be perfect!

-Yes, Macarena is quite beautiful- and I am very fond of ALL Stuart Gordon movies.

14) It's been a while since I heard any news. Does anyone know when shooting is due to start?

-Sigh. Well, the dates are now, early next year... We had a monetary setback late last month. This things happen in the indie, indie world and you have to take them in stride. I will, however let you know when the date becomes definite.

That's it for now!!!

Yours

The Old man del Toro (40 years now -cough-cough)

[Parker]

Gee...

Today I got a few e-mails in response to my posting about AVP and AtMOM. They were all concerned about the very obvious similarities between that film and HPL?s book. Once again: I agree... it seems to me that a big chunk was "hommaged" by someone at some point in time during developing of that script. I appreciate the concerns for AtMOM being perceived as an Alien send off or whatnot, but I must say once again: People that have a narrow frame of reference (all those that refer to MATRIX every time a martial arts or anime moment surfaces, or X-MEN every time you deal with a superhero team, etc, etc.) should not concern us that much. The rides and experiences will, hopefully be very different. I remember the time when SIXTH SENSE, DEVIL?S BACKBONE and THE OTHERS came out in rapid succession and in that order here in Spain... They were all compared to M. Night ?s great movie... What can you do??

For now, relax and let things roll... and please, post your concerns here in the board. I cannot answer individual e-mails form my Abe address. I simply cannot do it. This way your Q and my A will be read by others and will serve a purpose.

All the best

GDT

[Parker]

Hi Guys!!!

I'll be in LA for a day or two and then it's back to Espa?a!!! But I found some time to do the Q and A up to now, so-

1) My question is perhaps a little premature (considering it hasn't started filming yet), but is there a release date for the UK?

Not yet, but the UK is one of those countries that I have a VERY dear, precious relationship with... I promise you that you'll be able to see it!!!

2) When developing characters how do you put so much life into them? I have read the bios on the Hellboy DVD and I was fascinated by the detail put into the characters in HB and in Devils Backbone.


I believe that you, as a writer or an actor, should intuitively know your characters up to the smallest detail. You should write the ?good? guys and the ?bad? guys from your personal experience, describe what was going on before the film, then even anticipate what will come after... A ?bio? helps a lot in that way. When we were in screenwriter?s school (3 years) our teacher told us to use any tool we trusted to start writing characters, so the very first ?bio? I started was based on their - ahem- astrological sign.

Yes, you heard me right, astrology may not be a science, may not be a thing you have to believe in or live by, but is a damn great cross-section of ?types? and it helps you weave the tales of your characters and has a coherent base... You don?t have to stick to it (heck, HB is not a perfect ?Libra?) but it will give you a foundation.

The bios in DEVIL?S BACKBONE were SO extense and detailed that I actually felt like shooting the "bio" of Jacinto (the proto-fascist guy) as its own independent movie!!

All this information you accumulate will give you -as a director- a great base to work with your actors, a common ground to guide the character through. Give the bios to your crew, specially your wardrobe designers, set dressers and production designers. What we ear and how and where we live may NOT define us but it telegraphs a lot about our circumstance.

3) Did school play a big part in your success and do you recommend going to film school?

Only if you can afford it.

That is, pay for your tuition and still have some money left to DO your own short films.
The school I went to was very special because we FOUNDED it. We were students in the morning, teachers in the evening course. They were times of pure enthusiasm and in my hometown there was not much film resources so, we invented them... Francis Coppola says it perfectly: ?The best way to do a movie is to march down the street and say: ?I?m making a movie? Try and not look back and just march down with faith and energy and pretty soon you'll have two or three curious people marching behind you. Then, you WILL make the movie?

Well, in film school you'll find some of those curious people.
Film school?s biggest treasures are its students.

Film school will help you define yourself. How??

You can divide film schools in two perfect groups: The Enthusiasts and the Skeptics. The first ones love film, they want to watch films, they want to LOVE films, they will treasure a bad movie just because a scene, a moment, a shot, is memorable. This are the guys that hang around and keep things vital. Then, there are the skeptics. This are the guys that want films to prove how much smarter they are. They want to hate movies and defend mostly those films that are orphaned by everyone else. These elitists will defend only the most Hermetic films ever and will resent anything that looks for an audience or courts the mainstream. Both groups have produced VERY interested filmmakers.

So, film school will help you define your view of the world this way. It will strengthen your opinions by identification and/or opposition with either group.

I believe that a filmmaker?s first duty is to be out there, interacting with people and places, not just films. A social life, a literary life, a political stance, a love life, travelling, working. Being out, in the world, that's film school too.

Get out, get bruised, get into an argument at Film 101...

If you can afford it.


Well, that's it, guys. Talk to ya soon enough-

Staying Windswept and sorta-Interesting.


GDT

[Parker]

Hi guys!!

1) Are there any specific books you can recommend I read that may have helped you become a better writer, person, director, storyteller? Also GDT what are some of your favorite films?

-Ugh- tough question... Books on character development, or on film...

Sidney Lumet?s MAKING MOVIES is the BEST. Any SANFORD MEISNER method book is great for actors and directing actors. I really recommend the ?ON? books published by Faber (e.g.: BURTON ON BURTON, HITCHCOCK ON HITCHCOCK, etc.) I find interview books to be great and -mostly- insightful. I love the HITCHCOCK/TRUFFAUT book and Truffaut?s THE MOVIES OF MY LIFE book. These are books that give you the urge to GO AND DO A MOVIE!!!

In all my audio commentaries I try to follow that example. I love what I do and, if I can transmit that, that?s great!!!

I love WPBlatty?s book on the "Exorcist novel to film" translation. Really illustrative of why and how changed MUST be made to the original work. The same goes for Mario Puzo?s "Godfather files" book. I do not know the original English titles of these books since I read them in Spanish but I?m sure Amazon or the like might help...

Pedantic as it may sound Aristotle?s DRAMATICS is a great read if you find a good, friendly translation and annotator (mine is in Spanish).

ANY AND ALL William Goldman books. Get ?em!!

I find the David Mamet books irritatingly smart but they get the juices flowing. The guy is brilliant.

I would recommend that -for character construction- you can read interview books on regular folk or famous people. Studs Turkel or the Christopher Silvester ?Mammoth? book are good starts.

Yes, I recommend Joseph Campbell?s books VERY MUCH, but his beliefs have, sadly, been manipulated into some form of dogma in Hollywood.

I just finished reading a great book THE SCIENCE OF FAIRY TALES, which I got, second hand, in a great bookstore in LA ?SUSPECT? books in Santa Monica. There are great texts on the origin of fairy tales and they all trace oral tradition back to its roots and attribute to it all kinds of mythical/Mystical roots. This particular book was interesting because it actually made the effort of tracing oral history in a way that explained a lot of its quirks to me...

Some of my favorite writers -in no particular order- are: Oscar Wilde, Marcel Schwobe, Charles Dickens (the best characters ever), Lovecraft, Isaak Dinensen, Truman Capote, Willa Cather, Raymond Chandler, James M Cain, Donald Westlake, Stephen King, Ray Bradbury, Theodore Sturgeon, Harlan Ellison, Jorge Luis Borges, Juan Rulfo, Agustin Ya?ez, Horacio Quiroga, Witold Gombrowickz, Algernon Blackwood, Dunsany, Machen, Hope Hodgson, Neil Gaiman, Clive Barker, Ramsey Campbell, Mary Shelley, Saki, Dahl, Cornel Woolrich, Joseph Sheridan LeFanu, MR James, Robert W Chambers, Fritz LIeber, etc.

I believe that EVERY book you read makes you a better director/writer/person and every book NOT READ is a wasted opportunity.

Favorite movies??? That list is impossible... I think I answered some in the ?Questions for Guillermo? thread or the ?Guillermo said? so go back and read there...


2) What's going on with Sleepless Knights? I just ran across an old article about that idea, and I forgot how cool it sounded. Any progress on that puppy?

-New scripts have come in, full of brilliance and invention but it is still in development...


3) Didn't Liz's accident at Bellamie cause a huge number of deaths? Why would the nurse bring up a Thorazine shortage, but not residents lost, lawsuits against the hospital, etc.? I worked quite a few years in a psych. ward and found the indifference and hostility toward the mentally ill, not just by society, but by the staff that is paid to take care of them, to be overwhelmingly sad. It ended up depressing me to such a degree, I considered committing myself. I probably would have, had I not known how cruel many of the people taking care of me could be (a bit of irony, there). I'm writing a novel about my experiences working at the ward, but am taking what I saw as an employee and am showing it through a patient's eyes.

-Well, what a coincidence!! I volunteered on a mental hospital in Guadalajara for a while (a couple of months) and thought the same. But I met good, caring people amongst the staff. This experience has informed my life in ways that are hard to recount... The hospital was next to a morgue and my FAVORITE cemetery in Guadalajara. So I had to go through the morgue every day and feel depressed and existential for the rest of my day. The cemetery though, was an oasis of peace and tranquility. Lunches there became my favorite part of the day.

Coincidentally, this is the cemetery where I did my first ?professional? movie job as a P.A. -I excavated a grave for a movie called EL CORAZON DE LA NOCHE!!

But, back to your question... The Thorazine line was just meant to say that -casualties or not- the survivors had been doped out of their skull. I wanted to avoid the straight -PG13- ?no casualties? line.

4) If Rasputin WANTED Hellboy to find him, why would he set up all those booby-traps to STOP Hellboy from getting to him? Or were those set up years earlier, without a way to turn them off?
-The original conceit was that those subterranean catacombs were designed and executed through generations and would kill all HUMAN intruders. Hellboy would -hopefully- be K.O.?d.

5) Is Agent Clay dead, or is that something that I'm not supposed to know yet?

-Manning: ?two of our agents died today. Clay may not make it through the night? That?s all you need to know.


6) I'm not sure if you prefer traditional effects to CG, or if you went the more traditional route due to budgetary constraints, but I would like you to know how much some of us dinosaurs appreciate watching a movie that can still dazzle us the "old-fashioned" way. The Sammaels put an old-school grin on my face; one that I haven't had since watching Jason and the Argonauts projected on the wall of our public library, back in the late 70s. I'm not sure if this was an intentional homage to Ray Harryhausen or a pleasant coincidence, but they looked wonderful.

-The Sammies were a 100 percent an homage to Harryhausen. We (MMignola and I) even courted him to come on board as an advisor on their movement. If you watch closely the fight in the water pit (or egg chamber) is a wide ?Harryhausenesque? angle with the creatures doing all sorts of RH moves, and Sammy repeatedly bangs his fist on the floor ?ala? Mighty Joe Young!!


7) Would you ever consider putting an actual stop-motion scene into one of your films? There are a lot of big beasties up for grabs in the HB graphic novels and it sure would be a blast to see one or two of them brought to life through the magic of stop-motion.

-Yes I would, if the technique felt appropriate. I miss Stop Motion!!!

Are there any suggestions you can give to me, a young filmmaker, so that I can become a better storyteller? And what is in your diaries I heard that it was "moments and ideas" can you tell me more about this, and is the diary a good idea for me to start? Thank you very much for taking the time to read this GDT.

-The diary idea came out of something I heard in screenwriting school. Old fashion writers/reporters used to carry around a small moleskin black book in which they annotated all they saw or heard that could be of any use for a story later on. Some of the great writers had boxes of these books and browsed through them for inspiration.

I started by carrying a mini (not so mini in the 80?s) tape recorder everywhere I went and I recorded my ideas. This proved HIGHLY unpractical. Starting with CRONOS I adopted the notebook as my weapon of choice. For almost 3 years I used Blue ?Note? paper in a DAY RUNNER 3 ring large datebook. I gave away the original book as a gift and started a new one.

That one ran about 200 pages long. The last movie to get annotated there was MIMIC.

After MIMIC I decide to make a clean break and started a new leather-bound, Venetian notebook and started using only sepia ink for my annotations.

I carry all these books with me -they lie by my side as I write this. They are now -collectively- over 300 pages long!!! And I browse through them for ideas and scenes or bits of dialogue overheard here and there. They are great tools!!!

So, there. Caught up one more time. Hope this was useful.

All the best

GDT

[Parker]

Hi guys!!

A SPECIFIC answer to a DC DVD question e-mailed to me.

1) In the dvd gallery section, a more elaborate portal sequence is shown in conceptual form. The ideas were cool. Why was it dropped??

-The cold facts.

Actually all the ideas were attempted. Budget pressures were mounting but we held on to that sequence all the way until the sculptures were shown to me for the ?black block/portal? with the glowing symbols. They were quite disastrous. We would need to relocate VFX funds to ADDITIONAL shots in that set piece.

To sum it up: We saved it (along with some other ideas discussed on the DVD) for HB II!!

I love your DVD -specific questions!! Did you all enjoy the new cut??? Let me know- I am curious. It is my preferred telling of the story.

All the best

GDT

[Parker]

Hi guys!

Let's get some questions out of the way...

1) When filming a scene how to you determine if the camera should move, how fast it should move etc.?.... What is your thought process when framing a shot and how do know if what your shooting is going to work?....

- Jesus! This is getting TOO film school-ish. Any answer will be incomplete. Nevertheless let me give you the super-short version of an idea...

Back when I used to teach film language at the University, I kept telling the students to always remember that there are 100 places to put the camera but only 1 perfect one.

Imagine that a theatre play is offered to the audience in such a way that they can actually move freely through the stage as the drama unfolds.

They can follow the action... not unlike a referee monitoring a boxing match.

The camera should be that referee: always struggling to get the best view of the proceedings. Sometimes the best view is to stand back still, sometimes it is to be active and searching for the best view, sometimes is actually a Point Of View shot, etc., etc.

Film has been blessed with privileged ?seating? for the audience.
Now. Simple as it may be, always remember some of the basic things a camera can do...

PUSH IN
PULL BACK
CRANE UP
CRANE DOWN
MOVE LATERALLY
HAVE A POV
HAND HELD
STEADICAM
FOLLOW THE CHARACTERS
LEAD THE CHARACTERS
And so on and so forth...

In your first few exercises and short films, make a little list and then have a dialogue with yourself... How so?? Well, before choosing any of these options ask yourself the 5 questions... WHAT? WHY? HOW? WHEN? WHERE? Have a reason for your move, have it deliver some impact. It can underline a gesture, follow a move, transmit a shock, etc.

You should be familiar with every inch of the set. Walk it around, climb to the roof, step into the cellar, stand on each corner, etc., etc. This planning will give you an idea of where the ?privileged? spot is for every action.

Now, if the scene is NOT ACTION or HORROR or any other ?camera-driven? moment... That is, if it is ?actor-driven? you should have an idea about what you may want to do but rehearse first and see if it becomes organic with your actor?s work.


2) Is there anything you do on the set to keep yourself focused on the scene so you don't get distracted by all the noise and people etc.

-I listen to movie music. But more importantly, every morning, I wake up 2 hours before call and listen to a soundtrack while I storyboard the day. And I watch 20 minutes of one of my favorite movies. This jazzes you up and also reminds you that you are making a movie. Forget the politics, the budget, the attitudes... What you just saw, that movie you love so much, was made like this.

For good or bad, what?s on the screen is all that matters at the end. Brutal, but true.

3) LONG ago you mentioned trying to get some of it back to the fans. Any plans still "alive" on that idea? Some beautiful work and inspirational to boot!

-The art that was going to be handed out has already been distributed to the lucky fans through several sources and at conventions and fan reunions.

4) One issue I was curious about was Liz's reaction to her blowing up of the hospital. She seems to have no real remorse for the accident (even though it wasn't really her fault). Some friends mentioned how callous it seemed of her to be so unmoved by it (she's goofing around in the cab, flirting with John, going out for coffee, etc. All the next day.). I told them that it might be due to her growing up and her having to deal with her abilities and the threat it carried daily. Am I close?

-Well, no casualties were mentioned or seen. And you do have that VERY ?down? transitional scene between Liz an Myers at the ?fireproof? cell, so... She is exhilarated by her freedom but not yodeling or anything... She just likes to be outside. I love that scene and wanted it back... this was my cut so, I indulged myself... Liz needed some color in the theatrical cut.

5) The other point isn't so much about the DC but about two lines in the movie that seem to be misunderstood by some people. When Clay takes John in to meet Hellboy he says something like, "You have to feed him six times a day. He has a thing for cats." Judging by the question I get asked, some people think Hellboy EATS the cats! LOL Did you ever notice that possibility from the lines? It never occurred to me until some one asked but it has been asked of me enough that I can see how they make the mistake.

-We left the line ambiguous and thought it to be funny like that. As you watch the movie it becomes clear.

6) Final question for now, in the Director's Cut, there is a additional part of the journey into the ice cave to resurrect Rasputin where they have to break down an ice barrier in an archway. Why would something like that be left out of the theatrical cut? While I think that most people don't understand how important and creative editing a film is, making decisions like leaving those little bits out of a film would be hard for me. How do you decide?

-Looong answer. Impossible to cram here. Sorry.

HELLBOY is a VERY SPECIFIC case in which I wanted those touches back in a low-pressure environment. The movie HAD come out and it had the contractual running time (2 hours) but I felt that it moved TOO fast. I NEEDED this footage back. The changes are NOT enormous but it is, curiously enough, a much better telling of the same story.

I will not venture to answer your questions about editing as a process. At least not in a message board. But please allow me to direct you to the fundamental texts of or about WALTER MURCH. Possibly the greatest editor in the last 20 years along with the brilliant Telma Schoonmaker. The books are:

IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE.

THE CONVERSATIONS : Walter Murch and the Art of Editing Film by MICHAEL ONDAATJE

and

BEHIND THE SEEN: HOW WALTER MURCH EDITED COLD MOUNTAIN USING APPLE'S FINAL CUT PRO AND WHAT THIS MEANS FOR CINEMA.

Also, watch Walter BRILLIANT film RETURN TO OZ: a movie that was decades ahead of its time!!!


7) Is it just me, but besides the "added" footage, some of the scenes "felt" different to me. I did notice some different music cues, but I could swear that I noticed minor differences in dialogue delivery, and even a couple of angles.

-No, no. You are absolutely right. I DID do a lot of extra angles and tinkered with scenes so minimally (even frames on a shot or an extra angle) to soften the flow of the movie. Sadly, some of the things I wanted back were ?irretrievable?...

An example? Ilsa and Rasputin exchange at the beginning...

ILSA: I WILL NOT LEAVE YOU...
RASPUTIN: YES, YOU WILL LEAVE BE, DENY ME...

I LOVED that exchange. Made Rasputin very aware of his upcoming sacrifice, or at least the possibility of it... Sigh-


So, once again... I?m caught up...

All the best

GDT
In Pan?s Labyrinth

[Parker]

Good day!!!

Here are some more answers...

1) You said you'd be interested in doing stop motion, if the technique felt appropriate. Which beastie, if you could choose from any you've seen in the Hellboy comics, would be your dream stop motion creature? Or would you like to create an entirely new stop motion creature for the film?

-I would choose the technique AFTER creating the monster on paper. I can tell you this, right now: I will do stop motion soon enough. Actually on BLADE II we budgeted a very complex shot with the Chiodo Brothers but -believe it or not- their budget was higher than the Digital solution. We ultimately abandoned it and Goyer finally did it on BLADE TRINITY.

2) Do you think the production company would ever go for stop motion, or do you think they would tell you it's an outdated process, sit you down in front of the computer and demand that you "get with the times?"

it's my decision, not theirs... So, no, that's not a problem.

3) As a mutual fan of Charles Chaplin (and, I suppose, a fan of Charlie Chaplin's Mutuals), I can't help but wonder if we'll be able to see a scene of Hellboy and Liz watching City Lights, together (as described in the character bios on the DVD). It would be a sweet moment, watching them both tear up over the beautiful ending to that movie. Would this be something you'd be interested in? And, even if you wanted to add the moment, would securing the rights to the Chaplin film be too difficult?

-The rights for CITY LIGHTS might prove complicated, but it's a moment that would certainly tell you who they are.

4) Lastly, do you plan on keeping the horror/action/comedy quotient about the same as the first, or will you be going the typical sequel route, by adding extra comedy, taking away some of the horror (being the horror geek that I am, I'd love to see even more tension, slimy creatures and talking corpses) and suspense and cramming the film so full of action, Jerry Bruckheimer would be proud?

-The quotient will be more or less the same. I actually hope/think that the second one will have more fantastic elements and may even have some scary moments.


5) Well, since I see others have started asking HB2-related questions in this thread, Guillermo, there is something I have been wondering about... Without revealing too much, where do you see the relationship between Hellboy and Liz going in HB2?

-Well, I don?t want to spoil anything, really. I apologize for my unusual ?secretive? attitude, but I rather you wait.

6) I sat trough the credits on Hellboy, and I was wondering, what fights did you choreograph? And how?

-Well... The choreography started being done by Jeff Ward, whom I met on Blade II, but he left the picture after the Nazi episode in set in 1944. The Subway station fight was essentially choreographed following my storyboards but NOT by me. Kroenen?s fight at the museum and Kroenen?s fight with Hellboy were choreographed by Ladi (The actor playing Kroenen) and me. It was easy for us to understand how to use the sword batons because I designed them and he was the only one who knew how to handle them... I coreographed the fight at the museum to be ultra-brief and gore-less. So instead of blood and tissue, when the sword ?hits? the guards I had them ?flare? their flashlights into the camera?s lens. It was very balletic and fast. We enjoyed doing it.

7) Also, I don't want to attack you or anything, but why are you against shooting digital? I mean, the way I see it (but that my just be my student approach), it's nice to not constantly think "I'm wasting so much film each shot that goes wrong"... Or perhaps DV is just the best way to get started.

I'm NOT against digital per se. I'm just not ready to do a digital movie. Pure Romanticism. I love film. But -without a doubt- digital is the way of the future.

Also, how did you get started on Cronos? When did you think: "I wanna make movies, not just make-up"? And how did you get Ron Perlman in it? I mean, it seems like you two work together quite often, but did it start there?

-Oh, well... There?s that misconception again. I was directing short films BEFORE I did make up effects. As a matter of fact I started doing FX for my own films and later -as a favor- for my friends? films. I saw it as an edge to gain a position in an industry where FX-driven genres were deemed ?undoable?. I wrote CRONOS 8 years before I made it. During that period I started my own FX company and created the storyboards, conceptual paintings and props for CRONOS -mostly out of pocket- in order to prove we could do it.

Almost as soon as CRONOS opened we closed the company.

9) What's the deal with the director's cut of Hellboy? I'm looking forward to it, even tough it'll probably take another six months to get here (ooh, birthday present), will the director's commentary of the 'vanilla'-edition will be on there? DVD has really gotten me started on film, it was during a 'making of' that I tought, "this is what I want to do", and I wonder wether or not I would need to buy both versions for the commentaries (if not, I'll just rent the standard cut).
My advice is to buy the DIRECTOR?s CUT and rent the theatrical. Both commentary tracks are useful. I love listening to Mignola and find him to be quite brilliant and insightful. He is, after all, the real father of HB.

The Theatrical Cut also has -exclusively- the UPA short films, in case you're an animation nut, like me.

10) Also, the imdb lists Hellboy 2 as announced, does that mean Columbia has given the green light? Or is the imdb wrong? I think the money for the first one will be made back: even tough I wasn't in a full room in the theater, the audience laughed hard at all the right moments, which is something I don't experience often...

-HELLBOY 2 has been approved for Screenplay writing. A budget will be generated and then we will know if it gets the ?Green Light?

Revolution is very happy with it (in the US alone HELLBOY has shipped around 4.5 Million DVD units -DC included) and I, too, believe in it enough to commit exclusively to it as my next project right after Pan?s Labyrinth.

11) Will there be any release (preferably NTSC region 1) of the Mexican horror anthology show "Hora Marcada"? This was a great little horror show that has the distinction of being developed by GDT (among others) as well as being one of the few horror related watchings that I was able to sneak in past my parents as a child. I only remember seeing two episodes but man alive they terrified me. I mean I was having nightmares for weeks. Combine that with the over-active imagination of little boy and the overall creepiness of living in an old colonial house in the heart of Mexico and you can begin to get a sense of how I became addicted to horror.

-Sadly the episodes MAY NOT live up to your memories of them. I have had the chance to review them and the budget constraints get the better of all of the ones I once deemed ?Great?. That said, the HORA MARCADA was the best school a director could ask for. I am forever grateful for having been a part of it, as an actor, director, writer AND Make Up FX technician.

12) This romantic sensibility that I remember from being a child in Mexico is something I've nebulously always wanted from my horror movies, and although I never put to words I sensed its absence in American horror movies. In GDT's "Cronos? and The Devils Backbone? and then again in Alfonso Cauron's "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" I found this romantic sensibility and I got around to wondering if it's not the Mexican interpretation of the European Gothic and romantic sensibilities that I wanted. So I guess my question is: Are there any horror movies from Mexico that also express this sensibility? Put another way what are some of the better horror movies to come out of Mexico? (Please don't say Santo, those are great movies, don't get me wrong but a different sensibility all together)

-I love the following: EL LIBRO DE PIEDRA, HASTA EL VIENTO TIENE MIEDO, MISTERIOS DE ULTRATUMBA, EL GRITO DE LA MUERTE, MU?ECOS INFERNALES, EL MUNDO DE LOS VAMPIROS, EL PANTANO DE LAS ANIMAS, EL BARON DEL TERROR, EL ESPEJO DE LA BRUJA, VENENO PARA LAS HADAS, EL ATAUD DEL VAMPIRO y ALUCARDA.

I DO believe that there is a MELODRAMATIC sense of horror at work in all these movies and the movies I do. I cannot voice what Alfonso thinks, but I certainly love the baroque melodramatic sense that all the Mexican Movies of my childhood used to have. ?Viva Pedro Infante!

Until next time

GDT

[Parker]

Just a small note-

We are still dealing with the big setback on Pan?s Labyrinth. The side effects of what happened a few weeks ago have not subsided and may ultimatly postpone it further than I anticipated it. I?ll keep ya informed.

Yours

GDT

[Parker]

Hi guys:

I've found that I can easily catch up with the question boards IF you guys carefully read the answers that came before and post your questions here instead of sending them to my E-mail (Abe_Sapien@hotmail.com) I can type for 15-20 minutes in the morn and keep this current. It's turning into some kind of strange mutation of a blog...

Let's catch up-

1) From what i get Pan's Labyrinth is your next movie, and after that a second Hellboy, but where is At the Mountains of Madness- still in perfecting a script right?

-We actually turned in AtMoM already. That script took us 3 years to develop (started in 2001) and I think it is ready to shoot if we find the financing and/or Dreamworks approves it.

We'll see.

As noted before, Pan?s Labyrinth is still reeling from the blow it received a few weeks ago. Stay tuned.

As of now, I?m solely writing HELLBOY II. Every day, 9-5. That?s all I do.

2) What soundtracks are your favorites?

-Almost anything by Herrmann, Goldsmith, Silvestri, Beltrami, Bingen Mendizabal, Roque Ba?os, Joe Hisaishi, Preisner, Wojciech Kilar, Carter Burwell, Badalamenti, Alberto Iglesias, Nino Rota, John Morris, Mark Isham, Michale Kamen, Randy newman, Delerue, Elfman, Howard Shore, Alex North, Elia Cmiral, Xavier Navarrete, Morricone, Patrick Doyle, John Williams, Donnagio, Elliot Goldenthal, James Horner, etc. etc.

3) What is your favorite Hitchcock film and why?

-These are my favorites: FRENZY: The toughest, sickest Hitchcock, NOTORIOUS: The most elegant, polished and romantic. The ?Shadow trilogy?: STRANGERS ON A TRAIN, SHADOW OF A DOUBT and SUSPICION: All of them about the dark side. And... THE BIRDS and NORTH BY NORTHWEST, his perfect jewels of entertainment and thrills. NBNW being defined -very accurately- as the best Bond movie ever made. YOUNG AND INNOCENT, THE 39 STEPS and MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH, the peak of his English career. He became the supreme craftsman of his generation. And finally, I CONFESS: As a Catholic boy, this movie gave me nightmares.

4) Did you ever doubt yourself when you were younger, doubt your talent and fear that you would not be successful? Or did you always know you would succeed?

-In my personal experience, only Morons have NO doubts.

It is the essence of creativity to doubt oneself. Born with a gift, born with a whip... well, you will forever use that whip on yourself. Whether in public or in the most private moments of your creative life.

I loved CATCH ME IF YOU CAN because of how incredibly accurate it was in representing the artist as a con man (or vice-versa) and how it was, in essence, an uprooted boy seeking approval by his father. A dazzling, brilliant movie!!!

There, we're up to speed again!!


GDT

[Parker]

[Parker]

Hi guys...

First off a big OOPS!! I forgot to answer what music Kroenen listens to. Originally I had a Wagner piece (Tristan and Isolde) which seemed relevant to Hellboy/Liz at the end. But Marco begged me to let him compose something there. So I did. What you hear now is Marco?s music.

So, on to the questions and answers:

1) I am the grand prize winner in UGO's "Helluva Set Visit Sweepstakes" which includes a trip to visit you on your movie set. Lucky me! I am the envy of all of my friends and family. (I can imagine that such set visits must be at best a nuisance to you and your crew, but please know how thrilled I am and that I do not plan to take up your time since I know that you are working.) I have not been informed of when/where the trip will take place. I am assuming that it will be to Spain since you are now filming there.

-I guarantee you that you?ll feel very welcome during your visit and we will have lunch together as many times as possible. The Spanish movie shoot won?t start until March/April next year, so there?s a looooong wait...


2) Here's a question about the infamous 'diary' (the one that got lost in the cab temporarily). Have you started filling it with ideas for Hellboy 2? Do you just have one and how full is it?
I love the design work that goes into films. What a great job it must be to design monsters for a living.

-It is a great job. You?ll seldom hear me complain. I have started filling it with HB II ideas but not as many pages. By July/ August next year you can count on at least 10 pages to be filled and 20 by the end of the year (My writing is getting smaller with age, maybe is the calcium).


3) Are you referring to the 1891 book by Edwin Sidney Hartland? If so, I found that book available to read online, for those here who are interested...

-Great link!!!

4) I have a question about the Broom funeral sequence in HELLBOY... The first time I watched the film, when I saw the overhead shot of the casket moving through the umbrellas in the rain, I thought it looked strangely familiar--as though I'd seen a similar shot in another film. I am wondering if your shot was an homage or if it is just coincidence (or, haha, mebbe just my imagination)? (Sorry, I wish I could remember where I'd seen it before, but I can't.

- I myself can?t help you-- My only reference in doing that shot came from a Hitchcock film I love: FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT but its a different type of shot. I love umbrellas. Kind of a fetish, really.

5) What were some of the plots of your earliest student films?

-PESADILLA (the very first ?plot driven? one): So much for a ?plot?: A creature emerges from the men?s toilet at my school and roams the empty hallways. Nothing happens, just a POV and music. The creature decides the toilet is a better home and sinks back into the dark, wet comfort of it.

-PESADILLA II: The ghost of a dead student -who died during math classes- haunts another student who stayed late after school. For some incomprehensible reason the ghost student carries a giant sabre and stabs the other boy. Ahem- I had a sabre at home, hanging from a wall in my parents library, so...

-RITUAL: I did this film in the hopes to get ?chicks? who dug my ?sensitive? nature. The film is scored with highfalutin music (Pergolesi, STABAT MATER) and chronicles a woman making herself up in front of a mirror only to sink in a bathtub and slash her wrists afterwards. Even worse than MIMIC. Oh, and I didn?t get the ?chicks? either. They can smell insincere crap, I guess.

-MATILDE: The infamous ?giant foetus? short chronicled in the CRONOS DVD. Watch the footage.

-THE WALL: Just a few seconds of crappy clay animation filmed to the tune of ?Is there anybody out there? from Pink Floyd. A clay puppet brained itself and a pink, gooey worm was visible inside his head.

-FLYING FOETUSES: Incomplete. Thank God. Imagine a surreal and terribly shot clay animation that lasted only a few seconds and -originally- was going to chronicle the misadventures of a foetus in search of a Mom.

-ROUTINE: Another ?sensitive? experimental film that combined loathsome animation with pretentious photography and Pink Floyd?s ?Welcome to the Machine?. It chronicled the story of a man and a pig who are born at the same time and lead, more or less, the same life until their similarly timed death. I shot at a real slaughterhouse for this. ONLY one shot worked... but that same year I saw ?Texas Chainsaw Massacre? and became a vegetarian for 4 years.

-ANIMATION FESTIVAL: While still in seventh grade I was in charge of an animation workshop (for 2 years) and, aside from animating a few frames myself, I compiled a reel with the student?s best footage. Many were far better at it than I, Damn animation took too long!!

Not plot driven super-8?s: The Planet of the Apes series (3 of them) and one about a deranged, power-hungry Potato who rises out of the vegetable bin with evil intent. It wants to conquer the world!!! Sadly- the potato is ran over by a car as it leaves the kitchen.

Then came my 16mm, 35 mm and TV short stories... But that is another question.

6) Being the well-connected geek that you are, have you seen any of the early work on Mezco's Hellboy comic-book action figure line yet? And are you psyched about their choices? Gotta love the inclusion of the Kriegaffe...

-In my book, Mezco can do no wrong with Hellboy. I LOVE THE GUYS!!

7) On any of your films do you like operating the camera or do you prefer to let someone else do it and why?

-Only in my student films and on the occasional shot in BLADE II or HELLBOY where we use more than 4 cameras for a stunt. In BLADE II, for example I operated a camera in shots in the alley motorcycle fight and in the ?House of Pain? machine gun sequence.

When writing a script or coming up with an idea how do you know it will work? For example with the Devil's Backbone it blends so many different genres into one film. Did you know this would work when you wrote it or did you have your doubts?

-The ONLY thing you can gauge is IF IT WORKS FOR YOU. The rest is a massive question mark. Even in writing Hellboy, I knew it wouldn't be a movie for ?everyone?. None of my movies are- Don?t be castrated by demographics!!

9) If you're gonna have some flashbacks to Hellboy's younger years, how 'bout including the "Pancakes" story? I love that one!

-We WILL have a glimpse of HB as a kid in a flashback actually, but you?ll have to wait and see...

10) I'm a very big fan of Blair's, so I was wondering which performance inspired Guillermo to cast her as Liz.

-Mainly her eyes and the fact that she was ballsy/crazy enough to do Todd Solondz? ?Storytelling?

11) I was wondering if the character biographies from The Devil's Backbone are available to read anywhere & to (yes, very prematurely) beg GDT to include these biographies on his future dvds because they were absolutely one of my favorite features on the Hellboy: DC dvd. In fact, I also wonder if Guillermo is interested in writing fiction in addition to making films.
thanks for reading,

-I would love to write comics. I actually have 2 projects with Dark Horse. One called MEAT MARKET: A LOVE STORY based on an old script idea of mine and another called SILVER, based, again on an old script idea. Hopefully we?ll do them next year.

The bios WILL be a part of any and all future DVD projects. You can count on that. I wrote bios for CRONOS and DBB but it would take some effort to locate them, scan them and input them. They are buried somewhere in my storage facility in CA.


12) I enjoyed the use of both English and Spanish in CRONOS. i think this should be done more often in cinema. i hate watching films that take place in Nazi Germany during world war 2 and everyone speaks English. will pan's labyrinth be straight Spanish or will we get an artistic use of language as well?

-I will do that again in MONTECRISTO, if I ever do it. They will speak French, Spanish and English.

13) To finish this post is pan's labyrinth more directed towards being a scary horror fairy tale ( will we jump?) Or is it going to be a horror fairy tale that gnaws at you when you are relieving yourself in the bathroom at night?

-Hopefully both!!!

14) during set design you may want to put a full size statue of broom(i know this isn't the true spelling) in the bprd just for sentimental significance.

-Believe it or not. It?s already in!!! Great, putrid minds think alike!!!

All the best


GDT

[Parker]

Hola!!

1) You mentioned there were set backs with Pans Labyrinth. Why is it so hard for studios to give you money for the movies you want to make. It seems like they have a hard time understanding that you are a good director... you've made some great films... So i don't understand why there are set backs etc. And why its so hard to get the films made?

-Oh, well...

The studio system works very simply: Make money and they'll give you more money to make.

I cashed my MIMIC chips and got International financing for DEVIL?S BACKBONE, I did BLADE II and got enough chips to make HELLBOY the way I wanted it (a little less money, yes, but it affected it only so much) and now PAN?S LABYRINTH is the result of the HELLBOY chips being cashed in.

The delay is NOT Hollywood-related and has now been resolved, so the project moves forward. Films are hard to make in any financial situation. Setbacks occur.

2) Can you describe your working relationship with your DP Guillermo Navarro. How does he know what you want? Do you show him pictures, other films etc.

-We work BEFORE the movie. It started with CRONOS and is still the same way now. We watch movies together and discuss possible looks, and when the movie?s look is not something similar to any film ever made, well we discuss paintings or comic books. If there is no reference we discuss style sheets and put down some guidelines and talk about what type of film stock to use, what grain we want, what type of light and then we do tests. We test the wardrobe and make up and hairstyles and test all the lights we are going to use (see HB the director?s cut DVD - disc 3) and then we seldom talk about these again in the shoot. I decide the lens, the composition, the movement and the position of the camera. If Guillermo has a suggestion he makes it and if not, we just set all the things down.

Guillermo is a friend and a great guy but I trust him as an artist and a partner. He takes risks with me and we are not afraid to go out on a limb... He has taught me much and we are compadres. What else can I say??

3) Working with Beltrami, how do you convey to him the emotions you want in the music... can you describe how you get what you want out of him musically?

-We discuss the scene and its mood. We ?spot? the film and I ask him to put music ?from here to here? and to ?stop here? etc.

Very often I have temp music on and sometimes that's a guideline. Most of the time I let Marco alone to BE SURPRISED. He knows I am very blunt and sincere and that I'll tell him what I think. We have developed a language and sort of a short hand... for example, when I ask him to do some ?butt willies? in a scene he knows its a loose, random fiddling and plucking of violin strings a la Ligetti.

Sometimes- very few times- I hum an element I want in and we talk about it. Marco is also very stubborn and VERY GIFTED. He's a freakin?genius if you ask me. I demand more of him than of almost any other musician I've worked with. But he has the stuff to back up my demands.

4) Can you give me three general tips on making movies. Perhaps one day I'll put it into a website...

1) TRUST YOUR GUT.
2) MAKE ONLY THE MOVIES THAT MAKE YOU HAPPY.
3) NEVER, EVER, EVER GIVE UP.

5) I saw M. Knight's "The Village" recently. I really liked it. However many of my friends didn't like it at all, because they felt "misled" by the ending. Have you ever considered taking a real "risk" with something in a film, then later worried about audience reaction?

BTW - Having the "insect orgy" in Mimic would have been great. Damn studio!!!Back to top


-I think Mr M. Night does a ?commercial? movie and then one that's more cryptic. That alternating system is quite good if you ask me... Look at it that way SIXTH SENSE ($$$$) UNBREAKABLE (RISKY MASTERPIECE) SIGNS ($$$$) THE VILLAGE (RISKY AS HELL)

I like THE VILLAGE. It's NOT a HORROR film. It's a cautionary tale, that's all. The mistake is HOW they sell it.

6) Seeing that PAN'S LABYRINTH has been postponed due to a finance hiccup (Dadblast it! - A real bummer, and I hope it gets sorted soon), does this leave a window open to move the production of HELLBOY II up a notch or three?

-See posts above. Back in track with PL.

7) I was wondering if you had ever spent any time reading William Blake? I spent an entire semester in college reading Blake (a senior seminar), and was just blown away. I had not thought much about Blake until I picked up Lovecraft. They seem to share an amazing talent for horrific imagery.

-I think Blake is a VERY interesting figure for anyone that has grown a Catholic. He's incredibly powerful both as an artist and as a writer. Full of God?s Wrath and Hell?s fire. Not exactly light reading but interesting to tackle and understand a little more. I was actually just putting a note on my PAN?S LABYRINTH notebook about him...

I am hoping that there is a way for you to restore your original--darker!--idea for the ending to the film (which I've read online at http://sfy.iv.ru/sfy.html?script=mimic) in this cut... Is that going to be possible?

-Not exactly. That would imply shooting new material. That ending, along with a looot of cool stuff, was NEVER shot. There is, however a lot that can be restored.

9) What (if anything) does a studio have to say about a Director's Cut? I mean, when they put the kibosh on some of the director's original choices in the first place, how "open" are they to later restorations of that original vision?

-They give you free reign over content. They see it as extra sales, you see it as a playground.

10) I have to compliment you on the commentary tracks you include with the DVD releases of your films. They are consistently fascinating. Is it safe to assume you're planning to do one for the Director's Cut of MIMIC?

-IF things go my way, yes, of course. I take commentary tracks very seriously and prepare them carefully. I want you, at home to feel like we?re having a beer and a slice of pizza while chatting (BLADE II) or like I?m racking my brain to give you an insight on the elements that conform the movie?s universe (HB director?s cut).

11) And, as a former Torontonian (and one who longs to return there!), I hafta ask: how was shooting in Toronto (the crew, the town, etc.)?

-They were GREAT. I love crews that work hard but have a sense of pride, Toronto is a great place to live. I actually considered moving there instead of California but my wife feared the extreme climate. Cold in winter, mini skirts in Summer.

12) I read that you used to frequent Silver Snail when you were up there (it cheers me to think that you were picking up Hellboy comics while you were in "my" town!)... Did you ever visit The Beguiling (http://www.beguiling.com/home.htm)? It's another pretty cool comic book store in downtown Toronto. If you haven't already been there, I highly recommend it, the next time you're in TO.

-I went to THE BEGUILING and to the bookstore/video store across the street. Both were fan-tastic. As I said: Toronto is amazing!

All the best

GDT

[Parker]

Here we go:

1) Hola Memo, thanks for the invite. If you ever reconsider, I have an ice cold vault with your name on it in the Mortuary. The inscription reads: Nuestro Favorito Monstruo.

-Hola Jovanka!! My oldest daughter makes the same mistake in her Spanish phrases, ?Nuestro Monstruo Favorito? is -as noted by yourself- the correct way of expressing that very flattering thought. Heck, I ain't complaining: I make enough mistakes in this answer column...

2) So Guillermo, when your traveling the globe scouting locations, on set filming, or just doing promotion work in Europe. Where the HELL do you find good Mexican food!?!

-Home.

3) I'm sure you have a more diverse appetite and that you probably enjoy the local fare when your living abroad. But when your craving tamales, chile verde, empanada's, tripas, chicharrones, menudo!!! My GOD man!!! How do you survive!?!

-We always locate the local Mexican food market in our area. Here in Madrid you can get almost everything but Fresh Green Tomatillo and Chocolate de Mesa Amargo. Believe me, we've already made MOLE, BARBACOA, FRIJOLES REFRITOS, ROPA VIEJA, COCIDO, etc.

4) Btw, I'm sure you've tried cesos. te gustan?

-I love sesos in a nice soup. Or fried. BTW ?sesos? means ?calf brains? ?am, ?am-

5) I'm very interested in your comic project (is it w/ Dark Horse?). Anything else you can share at this point?

-Two projects: MEAT MARKET: A love story, created alongside Francisco Ruiz Velasco and SILVER: created alongside Edgar Clement. Both are not only great artists but long time compadres from Monterrey. Well, Edgar was a Mexico city ?chilango? before.

6) Hi GDT... Love the new website... anyways I was wondering how you get such rich, complex performances out of your actors. Can you describe the process you go through to get these performances describing any tricks you use along the way.

- Let me recommend a couple of great books:

?Sanford Meisner on Acting?
by SANFORD MEISNER, DENNIS LONGWELL,

?Respect for Acting?
by Uta Hagen, Haskel Frankel

?Directing actors?
By Judith Weston

In a TINY nutshell: A good principle is to have a lot of ?table readings? with your cast to explore the whys, wheres and whats of the characters. DO NOT give the ?readings? of the line they're delivering. Worse come to worst you MAY ask them to ?underline? a certain word. Sometimes, depending on the actor?s approach, even that may interfere with their performance. Give them simple things to DO that they can hook their reality to. Don't give them rational, cerebral ?reasons? on the set. That's character analysis and is left for pre-production ?table readings?.

Try to know them well and find their connections to the character, the way they can ?fuse? with the character?s actions and language.

7) Also how do you know if what you shot will work. I read that Kubrick sometimes does 50 takes of one scene, and Chaplin did over 300 takes for one scene in City Lights. Do you shoot this many takes of a scene ever?

-My top is 25 takes on HELLBOY. I really don't want to recall the scene.

Also GDT where do you think movies are headed in the next 5, 10 or 15 years? What new advances are you looking or not looking forward to? Do you think cinema will go all digital?

-Digital for sure. No doubt in my mind about that. Home theatres will become bigger and bigger and cinemas will stay the same.

9) Any advice for getting through that tough mid-point of a film script? Y'know, that slump you kinda fall into after the initial excitement begins to wear off, and before the excitement of writing the film's climax sets in...Back to top

-There?s no real advice other than, take the story and twist it and turn it. Be bold and say ?What if-?? A lot. Turn it upside down, sideways, etc. If you love a character, kill it, if you hate a character, make him have a compassionate moment. DO something to re-engage yourself. Don?t go the planned route. If you had plotted A-B-C-D-E, now go A-E-D-C-B. Experiment.

That's all for now.

See ya soon

GDT
_________________
"I was made a mercenary
In the legions of Hell
Now I'm king of pain, I'm insane, yeah"